Tray assembly for freezing ice bodies



Dec. 6, 1955 H..A. DowNlNG 2,725,728

TRAY ASSEMBLY FOR EREEZING ICE BODIES Filed March 18, 1952 /0aL Wt '30 '20 20 la) /06 MIA/fafa Hilf/V ow/v//VG United States Pateit ice This invention relates. generallyV to improvements in ice freezing trays.,Y y Ever since the advent of electric refrigerators and freezers, it has been a problemto provide an ice freezing tray from which only a selected number of cubes can be easily removed without melting any ofthe other cubes in the tray. It Yhasalso. been alongI existing probleml to provide .an ice freezing` tray from which the cbeisfniay be easily and quickly released. A

It is" therefore .an object `of. mypresent invention lto provide anice freezing tray unit from which` t`lie cubes may beeasily and quickly releasedv and from which only a portion of the cubes may be removed without melting or removing the remaining cubes.

It is another object to provide an ice freezing assembly constructed of a plurality of separate parts, one part consisting in an outer container and the other parts consisting in a plurality of individual freezer tray elements removably mounted in said container.

More specifically, it is an object to provide a compartmented container with a plurality of separate and individual freezing tray elements removably mounted therein and respectively surrounded on at least three sides thereof by the compartments of the container to permit Warm liquid to be respectively received by said compartments to selectively release the cubes from the respective individual trays.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to the same or similar parts throughout the several views and in which;

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of my tray container and showing a plurality of trays therein;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 2 2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 and showing one of the trays in partially raised position.

As illustrated in the accompanying drawings, I provide an outer carrier and holder tray 5 made as from any suitable material adapted to be inexpensively molded such as plastic. As best shown in Fig. 2, the bottom of tray 5 has a plurality of compartments, such as the compartments 6, 7, 8, 9 and ,1 0, which in the form illustrated extend transversely across said tray. The partitions between adjacent compartments serve not only to support the upper tray bottom 11 but also isolate 'said compartments, one from the other. If necessary, a closureplate 12 may be provided for sealingly closing one end of said compartments to facilitate manufacture thereof. The partitions, of course, are also sealed to the inside surface of the closure 12 to prevent communication between said compartments.

The outer tray 5 has, in the form shown, a pair of spaced upstanding side walls respectively designated by the numerals 5a and 5b. In the form illustrated, there g 2,725,728 Patented Dec. 6, 1855 walls 5a and 5b converge inwardly and each has a plurality of upstanding passages formed therein and respectively communicating with the passages 6 through 10 formed in the bottom of tray 5. The passages formed inside wall 5a are designated by the numerals 6a, 7a, 8a, 9d, and 10a and respectively communicate at their lower ends with the lateral end portions ofl the passages 6 through 10, inclusive, the upstanding passages formed in side wall 5b being respectively designated by the numerals 6b through 10b inclusive. The spaces between the passages and side walls are provided only for the purpose of conserving material and serve no function what-` ever in the actual operation of my device. These spaces are completely isolated, one from another, and are of course isolated from the; passages formed in the tray body. It should be noted that in the form of my invention illustrated five substantially U-shaped and continuous defrosting passages are formed within the tray. Each of these U-shaped passages is isolated from the others and each has in the form shown a pair of upstanding access passagesformed in the' side walls 5a and 5b. The inner end of the tray 5 has an upstanding stop partition 13 and the outer end of said tray 5 has suitable retaining means such Vasthe stop flanges 14 formed at the inner eind of 'the'walls' 5a andSb andflange 15 formed across at least apertin of the lower edge ofthe front of tray 5` in npstanding relation abve the inner or' upper tray bottom 11 at the outer edge thereof. e

An inner tray structure which, in the form shown, consists in a plurality of individual trays removably mounted within the outer tray 5 and confined between the side walls 5a and 5b and the respective stop ilanges and partitions 13 through 15 inclusive is removably mounted within said outer tray. This inner tray structure in the form illustrated consists in a plurality of individual partitioned open-topped liquid confining mold tray units respectively designated by the numerals 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20 and which respectively overlie the compartments 6 through 10 inclusive and extend between the compartd ments formed in the side walls 5a and Sb. Each of the tray units 16 through 20 has any suitable means for gripping the same such as the outwardly extending gripping handles respectively designated 16a through 20a inclusive to facilitate individual removal thereof. It should be noted that the upstanding liquid confining walls of the trays 16 through 20 which are disposed generally transversely of the outer carrier tray respectively overlie the partitions formed between the compartments 6 through 10 inclusive, as best shown in Fig. 2.

, In the operation of my improved tray assembly, the individual mold trays 16 through 20 are initially filled with water after being placed Within the outer carrier and holder tray S and the entire assembly is placed with a refrigerator to freeze the water within the mold trays. When one of the mold trays is to be removed and the ice therefrom used, warm water is merely introduced through one of the upstanding communication passages in the side walls Snor 5b and the heat is transferred to the bottom end walls of the particular mold tray surrounded thereby. This heat melts the engaged surface of the cubes retained in the selected mold tray to permit easy removal of the cubes after the individual mold tray itself isY lifted out of the outer carrier tray by thus freeing said cubes from the `upstanding walls and partitions of the yrnolcl tray as well as from the bottom thereof. It should It will be seen that I have provided an extremely simstructed to facilitate release of only a portion of the freezing solid ice bodies and particularly constructed to facilitate easy removal of only a portion of said bodies Without melting or warming any of the other cubes.,

' It will, of course, be understood that various changes maybe made' in the form, details, arrangement andproportions of the parts without departing from the scope of my invention which, generally stated, consists inthe .matter shown anddescribedher'ein and setforth in the appended claims. A

What I claim is:

l.y A tray assembly for freezing ice bodies and com structed to facilitate release of only a portion of said bodies, said assemblyjcomprising an outer carrier and 'I ture being divided into individual removable liquid con- K ning tray units respectively overlying the compartments 'l of said outer tray whereby each of these units may be individually warmed by introducing warm liquid into a selected compartment to release only the cubes in that particular tray unit, and permit all of said released cubes to be simultaneously removed in said tray unit.

`2. yA tray assembly for freezing ice bodies and conbodies therefrom, said assembly comprising an outer carrier and holder tray having a pair of spaced upstanding side walls and having a plurality of liquid conning compartments formed transversely across the bottom thereof, said side walls having upstanding defrosting liquid inlet passages formed therein respectively communicating with the compartments formed in said bottom and forming therewith a substantially U-shaped series of individually isolated passages, and an inner tray 'structure removably mounted within said outer tray andadaptedto confine liquidto be frozen therein, said inner tray structure being constructedof a plurality of individual liquid confining divided mold tray unitsirextending transversely between the side walls of said outer tray and bounded only on the ends and bottom by the respective U-shaped passages, said trays being of a width substantially equal to the respective widths of thev liquid conning .passages whereby introduction o'f warm liquid into a selected passage will warm only vthe tray bounded thereby.

References Cited 1in thc'iile of this patent UNITED' STATES PATENTS n Collier e. Apr.r22, 

